Picture this: Your Shopware store is crushing it locally. Sales are growing, customers love your products, and you're ready to take on the world. Then reality hits. VAT registrations in 27 EU countries. Sales tax compliance across 50 US states. Fraud management. Currency headaches. Suddenly, global expansion feels less like an opportunity and more like a full-time job you never wanted.
Here's the thing, it doesn't have to be this complicated. While your competitors are drowning in compliance paperwork and dealing with payment failures, you could be selling globally as easily as you sell locally. That's exactly what ExpandNow's Merchant of Record solution does for Shopware merchants.
What exactly is a Merchant of Record (and why should you care)?
Think of a Merchant of Record (MoR) as your global expansion partner. When you partner with ExpandNow as your MoR, we become the legal entity responsible for every sale you make internationally. We handle the payments, issue compliant invoices, calculate and collect all taxes, manage refunds and chargebacks, and take on fraud liability for approved orders.
The result? You focus on what you do best, growing your business and delighting customers, while we handle the operational complexity that usually makes international expansion feel impossible.
Why Finance and Operations Teams love the ExpandNow + Shopware integration
Lightning-fast market entry (as fast as 2-3 weeks vs 3-6 months)
Remember when launching in a new market meant months of legal setup, tax registrations, and compliance research? Those days are over. With ExpandNow's Shopware extension, you can go from "let's expand to Europe" to "we're live and taking orders" in as fast as 2-3 weeks.
Install our extension, connect your account, map your products, test the integration, and you're live. No complex onboarding, no lengthy legal processes, no headaches.
Complete tax compliance without the Compliance Team
Here's what keeps finance teams up at night: VAT registration in multiple EU countries, understanding OSS and IOSS requirements, tracking sales tax thresholds across US states, and staying current with constantly changing regulations.
As your Merchant of Record, ExpandNow takes full ownership of:
Tax registrations across all markets (no more multiple tax IDs to manage)
Real-time tax calculation at checkout
Automated filing and remittance on schedule
Compliance monitoring and updates
We're talking about eliminating the risk of costly audits and non-compliance penalties while freeing up your team to focus on strategic work instead of tax paperwork.
Payment conversion that actually converts
Nothing kills international sales faster than a checkout that doesn't work for local customers. When shoppers see unfamiliar payment options or their preferred method isn't available, they abandon their carts.
ExpandNow supports 40+ payment methods across 190+ countries in 150+ currencies. German customers can use iDEAL, UK shoppers can pay with Klarna, US customers get Apple Pay and Google Pay, and European customers have access to SEPA and Bancontact. The result? Payment approval rates increase by 5-10% and checkout conversion jumps by 25-50%.
Fraud protection that has your back
Fraud and chargebacks don't just cost money, they drain your team's time and energy. Disputes are complex, manual, and frankly, a nightmare to manage internally.
ExpandNow takes fraud risk management seriously. We screen every order and provide comprehensive fraud protection, significantly reducing your exposure to fraudulent transactions. We also handle dispute management, so your team can focus on growth instead of fighting chargebacks.
Real-world impact: What this means for your bottom line
Let's talk numbers that matter to finance teams:
Cost Efficiency: Up to 40% lower total cost than running payments, tax, and fraud management in-house. Fewer tools, fewer contracts, less internal overhead.
Cash Flow: While traditional MoR providers make you wait 30+ days for payouts, ExpandNow offers daily settlements. That's money back in your business faster, fueling growth instead of sitting in limbo.
Risk Elimination: Zero fraud chargeback liability means predictable costs and no surprise losses eating into your margins.
Resource Optimization: Your finance and operations teams can focus on strategic initiatives instead of compliance busy work.
Expanding Smart: How different markets work with ExpandNow
European Union & United Kingdom
The EU's VAT landscape is notoriously complex. Between standard VAT rates, reduced rates for different product categories, OSS (One-Stop-Shop) requirements, and IOSS (Import One-Stop-Shop) for goods under €150, it's a compliance minefield.
ExpandNow handles it all automatically. We maintain the necessary VAT registrations, apply correct rates at checkout, and file returns across all EU member states. UK expansion works the same way: seamless, compliant, and completely hands-off for your team.
United States
US sales tax compliance isn't just about knowing the rates, it's about understanding economic nexus thresholds that vary by state, local jurisdiction requirements, and product-specific exemptions.
As your Merchant of Record, we handle US sales tax compliance requirements across all states where you sell, managing the complex web of state-specific regulations and filing requirements. Whether you're selling in California or Maine, compliance is taken care of.
The ExpandNow advantage: Why Shopware merchants choose us
Challenge | ExpandNow solution | Your benefit |
Tax Complexity | Full automation of VAT/sales tax registration, calculation, filing, and remittance | Focus on growth, not compliance |
Payment Failures | 40+ local payment methods, optimized routing | 5-10% higher approval rates, 25-50% better conversion |
Fraud Risk | Comprehensive fraud protection plus dispute management | Significantly reduced fraud exposure, admin time saved |
Cash Flow Issues | Daily payouts vs 30+ day waits | Better cash flow for reinvestment |
Operational Overhead | Single integration handles everything | Simplified tech stack, reduced vendor management |
Making the business case: The complete cost picture
When evaluating a Merchant of Record solution, smart finance teams look beyond the transaction fee (around 5% with ExpandNow) to understand the total cost of ownership. Here's what that complete picture looks like:
Hidden costs you're avoiding:
Legal fees for international entity setup
Accounting and compliance staff time
Multiple software licenses for payments, tax, and fraud tools
Chargeback losses and dispute management
Audit and penalty risks
Delayed market entry (opportunity cost)
When you factor in the complete picture, most Shopware merchants find ExpandNow actually reduces their total cost of global expansion while dramatically improving their speed to market and operational efficiency.
Customer experience: Why shoppers love buying through ExpandNow
Your international customers get a localized checkout experience that feels native to their market. VAT is calculated and displayed at checkout (no surprise customs fees), they can pay with familiar methods, and the entire process feels as smooth as shopping domestically.
This isn't just good for conversion, it's good for customer lifetime value. Shoppers who have a great first experience are more likely to return and recommend your brand.
Ready to unlock your global growth potential?
The difference between businesses that successfully scale internationally and those that get stuck isn't ambition, it's having the right operational foundation. While your competitors are still figuring out VAT compliance in their second market, you could be selling profitably in dozens of countries.
ExpandNow's Merchant of Record solution turns global expansion from a complex project into a simple business decision. You get the freedom to focus on what matters: growing your brand and serving customers, while we handle everything that used to keep you up at night.
Take the next step
Ready to see how ExpandNow can transform your global expansion strategy?
Explore the ExpandNow integration on Shopware to see how easy setup really is.
Request a personalized demo to discover exactly how much time, money, and headaches you could save with our Merchant of Record solution.
Your global customers are waiting. Let's make selling to them as simple as it should be.
About the author:
Martha Sanquiz is a Barcelona-based growth marketer with eight years in tech, B2B, and SaaS. Outside of work, you’ll find her running by the sea or on a yoga mat.
